The 1999 hit series Naruto, is loved by many. Due to its immense plot line and unique characters, it has become very popular among fans.
From foxlike marks on faces to masks and face tattoos, the characters of the series have unique features, which very well suit their personalities. However, there’s one character that does stand out the most. Yes, you guessed it right- Kakashi.
Now, there’s barely anyone who doesn’t know who Kakashi is. At least that’s not what we expect considering the number of fangirls this guy has. Not to mention fanboys too.
Kakashi has this cool guy vibe, that makes him capture the eyes as well as hearts of many. Yet, the fact that he wears a mask still intrigues many people.
When did Kakashi begin to wear the mask?
At the beginning of the series, Kakashi first appears during Naruto chapter 3: Enter Sasuke! as a mentor for team seven. He is always seen wearing the mask. Now the story of the mask goes way back to when he was just a kid.
During the episode of Kakashi’s backstory, we can see him wearing a mask as well. This shows that he had been wearing it since he was a kid. Since we see him in the ninja academy and he graduated when he was just five, we can say that he began to wear the mask from a very early age.
What kind of mask does he wear?
At the beginning of the series, he wears a mask that covers the area just under his eyes.
Later on, after he received the Sharingan from Obito, he started to cover his left eye too. He used a mask that covered his whole face, except just his right eye.
In the later part of the series, when he loses the Sharingan, he uncovers the left eye and opts for the mask that he used to wear before, the one which showed just his eyes.
Did he ever remove his mask?
Yes, Finally!!! After a long wait of 16 years, we finally got to see his face.
In episode 469, his face was finally revealed to the fans. Though everyone did see him, no one was able to know that it was Kakashi, as he wore a disguise. Kakashi disguised himself as Sukae, a photographer who was looking for a story. He joined forces with Naruto and his team, who were trying their best to uncover the truth behind the mask.
Little did they know, that their dear Kakashi sensei was just fooling around with them to help them bond. He even went an extra length, trying to get the registration form, believing it had the picture without the mask. Smart indeed.
Although, in one of the episodes earlier, we see his dogs explain what he looks like. The description of Pakkun, one of his dogs, was the closest to the actual face. So we must say the writer did spoil us a bit, we just didn’t see it.
Earlier, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura tried to uncover the mystery behind the mask, but they failed every time. However, throughout the series, few people did have the chance to see his face.
Before the face reveal, the owner of Ichiran, Teuchi, and his daughter, Ayame saw his real face when Kakashi ate ramen there. And we could see how in love they were.
How does he eat with the mask on?
For most of the series, we see him sporting the mask. so it would be only natural to be curious about how he eats with the mask on?
He surely doesn’t wear a mask when he is at home, but since he is out most of the time, he must have to eat out. So, there must be times, when he had to eat out and had to take off his mask.
In doing so, the Ramen shop owners have seen his face. Lucky them!
So why does he wear a mask you ask.
In one episode of Naruto’s spinoff “Rock Lee’s Springtime of Youth”, it was said that Kakashi wears a mask to hide the nosebleed he gets every time he reads any erotic books. Hilarious, right!!
Well, we can’t completely ignore it too, as we know the perverse characters of any series generally get nosebleeds when exposed to such things. So maybe Kakashi used to get nosebleeds and didn’t want anyone to see it and that’s why he wore a mask. This could be the closest reason possible.
But the fact that he wore it since his childhood, kind of debunks this theory.
In an interview, Kishimoto said that he wanted to have every character have a mask just like Kakashi, but refrained from it, as it would get difficult to portray the emotions from just the eyes of every character.
For now, let’s just assume that Kakashi just likes to wear the mask as a fashion statement.
That does sound reasonable, right?
Well, it is going to remain a mystery, until Kishimoto himself comes up with some explanation. So till then let’s just appreciate him and his good looks.
Does the mask have special powers?
No, it doesn’t. The mask is just there to cover his face and doesn’t hold any power. Neither did it cause any effect on his powers as well.
What powers does Kakashi have?
Being a prodigy and graduating at the top of his class, at just age five, Kakashi was believed to be a gem to Konoha. On top of that, he was the son of The White Fang, his father Sukumo Hatake. So he was already the talk of the town. Due to these reasons alone, we can tell he had immense powers.
Here are some of his powers
Chidori
Chidori is a lightning-style Ninjutsu developed by Kakashi when he was under Minato’s supervision. It is an A-rank Jutsu, which allows the user to channel a high concentration of lightning in their hand, allowing them to inflict high-level damage to their opponent.
Rasengan
The Rasengan is a spinning ball of concentrated chakra made by the users on their hands. It was first developed by Minato. As Kakashi was under the team Minato, eventually he mastered Rasengan as well.
Sharingan
Among the various powers Kakashi possesses, the Sharingan is the most prominent one. Just like the Uchihas, he was able to use the Sharingan to copy the ninja techniques of his opponents, earning him the title of ” Copy Ninja Kakashi”.Raikiri
Kamui
The Mangekyo Sharingan is an advanced form of the Sharingan. Each user has a different ability. In the case of Kakashi, he got Obito’s Mangekyo Sharingan, Kamui. Kamui is time-based ninjutsu that allowed the users to transform objects between dimensions.
Taijutsu
Although Kakashi specializes in ninjutsu, he has strong taijutsu as well. In one of the episodes, he manages to open one of the gates of the Eight Gates, which let him fight off his opponents with more power.
Susano
The Susano is power, only the Uchihas can use. Despite not being an Uchiha, Kakashi was able to use the Susano when Obito, in his final moments, gave him both of the Sharingan. Even if it was just for a mere moment, his Susano created a buzz.
Earth-Style Wall
Kakashi was successfully able to use the earth-style Jutsu to create a wall, that would keep them safe from their opponents. The Third Hokage used this technique as a shield. However, the wall that Kakashi made was different from that of the Hokage, as it had hounds on them.
How did he get the Sharingan?
The Sharingan is a special ability that only the Uchihas possessed. The Sharingan gave them the ability to copy the techniques of their opponents just by looking, which gave them an upper hand in the battle.
Now, Kakashi got his Sharingan from Obito, who matter of fact was an Uchiha and had yet to awaken his Sharingan. During their mission, while trying to save Rin, their teammate, they get ambushed by the enemies.
Kakashi used Chidori, which he inherited from his father, against the enemies and strained his eyes to the point he couldn’t see. He was about to get hit by the rocks when Obito moved him out of the way and instead got crushed. At this point, Obito knew he won’t make it, so he asked Kakashi to take his Sharingan, which he had just awakened, as a present.
Rin successfully transplanted the Sharingan to Kakashi’s left eye. The Uchihas were surely against this, but honoring the final wish of Obito, they let him have it. Tragic, right?
So, the reason he covers his eyes could be because he felt guilty about not being able to save Obito and possess something that was never meant to be his.
